Such a hoop lock is known, for example, as a padlock which has an essentially U-shaped hoop. The hoop can be guided through an eyelet or the like in its open position to secure an object (e.g. a door with hasp).
In another embodiment, such a hoop lock is made as a brake disk lock which serves for the securing, for example, of a motorcycle, of a motor scooter or of a quad bike against unauthorized use. The hoop for this purpose engages through an opening of a brake disk of the parked vehicle. The lock is thus trapped at the brake disk by the hoop latched in the closed position and the use of the vehicle is prevented until the lock is again released from the brake lock.
The latching device of such a hoop lock must have parts movable within the lock housing to be able to latch the hoop selectively to the lock body in its closed position. For this purpose, the lock housing usually has different holding and guide sections for the movable parts of the latching device which are in particular of a three-dimensional structure. The lock housing hereby, however, has an undesirably complex design and is accordingly expensive in manufacture. In addition, the lock body has a width which is undesirably large for some applications when the latching device is received between the driver of the locking mechanism and the hoop in a holding and guide section of the lock housing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hoop lock having a lock body and a movable hoop which has a simple structure and allows a narrow construction shape.
This object is satisfied by a hoop lock having the features of claim 1 and in particular in that at least a part of the latching device is movable together with the hoop between the open position and the closed position of the hoop.
In this hoop lock in accordance with the invention, at least some of those elements which act between the driver of the locking mechanism, the hoop and the lock housing to latch the hoop to the lock housing in its closed position are not only movable between an unlatched position and a latched position (which is typically possible in a direction perpendicular to the axis of actuation of the locking mechanism. The respective part of the latching device is rather also movable together with the hoop between the open position and the closed position of the hoop (in particular parallel to the axis of actuation of the locking mechanism). In this respect, the circumstance is utilized that the respective part of the latching device anyway does not have to satisfy any latching function when the hoop is not in the closed position, but rather in the open position or in an intermediate position.
It is thus possible to hold and/or to movably support a part of the latching device or the total latching device in the movable hoop. The lock housing can thus have a particularly simple structure, in particular having simpler holding and guide sections for the latching device or even without such holding and guide sections.
A further advantage is that the latching device (at least partly received in the hoop) can cooperate at an outer side of the hoop with the lock housing to latch the hoop in its closed position at the lock housing when the driver of the locking mechanism and thus the latching device are in the latched position. In this connection a side of the hoop is to be understood as the outer side of the hoop which is remote from an axis of actuation of the locking mechanism (usually extending through a central region of the lock body). A particularly narrow construction shape of the lock body is hereby possible, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the axis of actuation of the locking mechanism and/or perpendicular to the direction of movement of the hoop. The driver of the locking mechanism, the latching device, the hoop and the lock housing namely do not have to be arranged strictly following and next to one another, as is in particular the case with known padlocks. It is instead possible, for example, that only the latching device and the lock housing are arranged next to one another, whereas the hoop engages around a part of the latching device (in particular the movable part).
To the extent that reference is made in connection with the invention to the “movable part” of the latching device, that part of the latching device is to be understood hereby which is movable together with the hoop between the open position and the closed position of the hoop.